Opener for flaky fibrous materials

ABSTRACT

An opener for opening flaky fiber material comprising a driven opening disk having a first side and a second side and which rotates in a direction; a first plurality of spikes is mounted on the first side of the opening disk; a counter opening disk which has a circumference, a first side facing the opening disc and a second side, fixedly mounted parallel and opposite to the first side of the opening disk; a second plurality of spikes is mounted on the first side of the counter opening disk and is fitted so as to tilt at an angle in a direction of the opening disk and is arranged substantially radially in rows, and a drive mechanism for moving the angle of at least one row of the spikes on the counter opening disk back and forth in the rotational direction and counter to the rotational direction of the opening disk.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns an opener for opening flaky fiber material, whichopener is incorporated via a short feed pipe that can be admitted with atransporting air flow under suction pressure and charged with fiberflakes, as well as via a discharge pipe, into a pneumatic conveyor linefor the processing of fiber material, said opener having a drivenopening disk with spikes, to which is assigned a fixed counter openingdisk, provided with radially outward extending rows of spikes in thedirection of the opening disk spikes.

Various designs of such openers are known. Thus, the DE 33 33 750 A1,for example, discloses an opener for opening and cleaning of fibermaterial, which comprises two opposite arranged rollers, positionedparallel above grate rods, grids or the like and below a closed coveringcap in a horizontal plane and provided with spikes or the like, whereinthe intake and discharge openings are arranged such that the fibermaterial is fed in and discharged in a direction parallel to the rollersand by means of an air flow. Such openers operating with spiked rollersrequire a large amount of floor space, have a low degree of opening witha poor flow rate, and are subject to high wear and tear. In addition,there is the danger of lap formation on the rollers with subsequentblocking.

The GB-A-996 604 furthermore discloses a fiber opening and cleaningmachine with a driven opening disk that is installed in a housing and astationary counter opening disk, located on the opposite side, with aspace in-between. A fan wheel sits on the drive shaft for the openingdisk and is located opposite the central opening in the counter openingdisk. The opening in the counter opening disk is connected to a materialfeed line via a cone-shaped section of pipe, which discharges from thetop into the housing. The opening disk and the counter opening disk aresurrounded peripherally by fixed grate rods, through which dust travelson the one hand in horizontal direction to a ring-shaped chamber locatedinside the housing, while opened fiber material travels on the otherhand in vertical direction to a venting hood that is located on the topof the housing and is connected to a suction line.

The GB-A-478 760 furthermore discloses a Crighton opener with a housingerected on a floor level and having a reverse U-shaped design, whichopener comprises on the inside, in the lower region of said housing, ashaft that is supported on the floor and has a a short feed pipeattached to its side. On its top, the shaft supports a cage that isenlarged away from it in a truncated-cone shape and consists ofindividual grate rods. Located above this cage is a driven openingdevice, designed as cross wheel and functioning as a beater, which isconnected to a discharge/feed-in pipe and is designed to drive foreignmatter downward, in the is direction of the floor. Exhaust nozzles,which allow the continuous suctioning out of lighter foreign matter, areassigned to the cage side, inside a chamber between cage and housing.

In addition, the EP 0 572 495 B1 discloses an opener of this type,comprising a housing with built-in opening disk, which is incorporatedvia a short feed pipe and a short discharge pipe into a pneumaticconveying line for the processing of fiber material. The short feed pipethat discharges into the bottom part of the housing turns into an openhollow cylinder extending into the cylindrical housing, which isconnected to the short discharge pipe by forming a ring-shaped chamber.At a specific, parallel distance to the free front of the hollowcylinder, a driven opening disk is arranged, which covers this cylinderand which is provided with sharp spikes pointing in the direction of thehollow cylinder. A fixed, circular-segment shaped counter opening diskis inserted into the front of the hollow cylinder, which is providedwith sharp spikes pointing in the direction of the opening disk. Thesecounter opening disk spikes can be installed such that they are tiltedin rotational direction of the opening disk. To be sure, this representsa considerable improvement in the degree of opening for the flaky fibermaterial, but the inflexible opener of the spikes on the rotatingopening disk as well as on the fixed counter opening disk neverthelessinvolves the danger of fiber flakes getting caught in the spikes and alap formation on the spikes, which in extreme cases will clog the rowsof spikes and will impede or even prevent the opening of the succeedingflaky fiber material. In that case, the machine must be stopped and therows of spikes must be freed of fiber material wound around them.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore the object of the present invention to create an openerof the aforementioned type, which further improves the effectiveness ofthe known machines and which prevents in all cases the occurrence offibers being caught in the opening region.

This object is solved in accordance with the invention in that the angleof at least one row of spikes on the counter opening disk can beadjusted continuously via a drive such that they tilt back and forth inrotational direction or counter to the rotational direction of theopening disk.

The essential advantages obtained with the opener according to theinvention consist of an excellent degree of opening and a high capacity.The fiber air flow entering the short feed pipe passes through thehollow cylinder and exits from its open front where it is intercepted bythe opening disk, operating at a relatively high speed, wherein theflaky fiber material is opened by the spikes on the opening disk and, asa result of the centrifugal force and together with the air, is guidedthrough the peripheral discharge slot between opening disk and hollowcylinder and into the ring-shaped chamber. From there, the fiber airflow is then suctioned off via the short discharge pipe. Thecircular-segment shaped counter opening disk according to the invention,so-to-speak causes a combing of the flaky fiber material, without makingit possible for the fibers to adhere to the spikes. These are constantlystripped off as a result of the permanent change in the angle of thespikes tilting back and forth, so that a lap formation of the fibermaterial on the opening disk is reliably prevented. As a result of this,such fiber-opening machines reach a high degree of efficiency notreached so far and have a correspondingly higher capacity.

In order to increase the efficiency of the rotating opening disk, oneadvantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the counteropening disk has a circular-segment shape, and that the first row of thespikes is arranged in rotational direction of the opening disk, behindthe circular-segment shaped cutout in the counter opening disk, whereinthe row of spikes extends crosswise to the rotational direction of theopening disk.

In a further embodiment according to the invention, several of the rowsof spikes extend radially outward from the center point in the counteropening disk and form a ballistic curve, where the number of spikes inthe rows decreases in rotational direction of the opening disk. Thisresults in a saving of components, since the capacity required to openthe flaky fiber material decreases in rotational direction of theopening disk, owing to the centrifugal force created by the fiber airflow, but is higher at the outer circumference of the counter openingdisk than in the center region of the counter opening disk.

The degree of effectiveness of the process of opening the flaky fibermaterial can be increased further in that two parallel, side-by-sideextending rows of spikes are arranged on the counter opening disk, forwhich the angle can be adjusted continuously to move back and forth incounter direction to each other or in the same direction. As a result ofthis, the opening effect on the fiber material is nearly doubled,so-to-speak, since this material passes the rows of spikes twice, whichrows can tilt back and forth. The spikes moving back and forth aremounted on a rotatable shaft to achieve the angle adjustment.

In addition, it can be provided that respectively at least one row offixed spikes is arranged between neighboring, parallel and side-by-sideextending rows of spikes, for which the angle can be adjustedcontinuously back and forth. This may be advisable if sufficient spaceexists between the two rows of spikes that are tilting back and forth tohave a row of rigidly secured spikes on the counter opening disk. Ifnecessary, the spikes in the rigidly secured row of spikes on thecounter opening disk can be installed such that they are tilted inrotational direction of the opening disk in order to support the effectof opening the flaky fiber material.

The circular-segment shaped cutout in the counter opening disk isdefined by a circumferential angle α of approximately 120° to achieve anoptimum suction effect in the transport flow of the fiber material.

In order to improve the opening effect, one advantageous embodiment ofthe subject according to the invention provides that the counter openingdisk has spikes only over an angular region β of approximately 120°. Aspreviously explained, it makes sense if the pointy spikes in that caseare arranged in a ballistic curve on the counter opening disk.

For an easier installation of the rows of spikes, at least the rows ofspikes that can be moved back and forth to change the angle are mountedin an insert, which can be fitted into a corresponding recess in thecounter opening disk. With this embodiment, it is possible to providethe insert with a lip seal in the direction of the opening disk, whichseals the shaft studded with the spikes to prevent the fiber materialfrom exiting between the opening disk and the counter opening disk. Thisprevents fine fibers from clogging the shafts studded with spikes. Itmakes sense to design the spikes extending into the fiber materialdischarge such that they are pointed.

In a special embodiment of the invention, the rows of spikes that can beadjusted back and forth to change the angle are advantageously actuatedby a motor-operated crank mechanism. For this, the crank mechanism isprovided with an eccentric cam, which transmits the drive movement tothe respective connecting rod for the crank mechanism. The motor for thecrank mechanism can in this case be an electric motor, a pneumatic motoror a hydraulic motor.

An alternative solution for the problem underlying the inventiondistinguishes itself in that at least one row of the spikes on thecounter opening disk is positioned such that the angle can be adjustedin rotational direction and counter to the rotational direction of theopening disk, wherein a spring acts upon the spikes in the rotationaldirection of the opening disk. The spikes clean themselves as a resultof this measure. If too much fiber material is wrapped around thespikes, the spikes move in the direction counter to the spring actionand occupy a position counter to the rotational direction of the openingdisk, as a result of which the spikes are freed of the fiber material.It makes sense if a tension spring or a compression spring is assignedto each row of spikes for which the angle can be adjusted. It ispreferable if the tension spring or the compression spring is a steelspring or a rubber spring.

Another alternative solution to the invention is that at least one spikeon the counter opening disk is held spring-mounted and tilted inrotational direction of the opening disk. As a result of this measure,the spike wrapped with too much fiber material will tilt counter to itsspring-admission, thereby freeing the spike of the fibrous materialwrapped around it when the opener is operated. Thus, a virtualself-cleaning of the spike occurs. It is preferable if each spike of atleast one row of spikes on the counter opening disk is formed by thefree front end of a spiral spring, wherein the angle of each spike canbe adjusted in rotational direction and counter to the rotationaldirection of the opening disk and is held spring-loaded in therotational direction of the opening disk.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The idea upon which the invention is based is explained in furtherdetail in the following description and with the aid of embodimentsshown in the drawings. Shown are in:

FIG. 1 A longitudinal section through an opener according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 An enlarged view of the detail "X" according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 A view from above of the counter opening disk of the opener,along the line I--I in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 An enlarged sectional view of the detail "Y" according to FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 A view in the direction of arrow "Z" in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 A partial sectional view along the line II--II according to FIG.3;

FIG. 7 A view from above of the counter opening disk according to FIG.3, prior to assembly;

FIG. 8 A sectional view along the line III--III according to FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 A partial view from the side of the counter opening disk of analternative opener according to the invention;

FIG. 10 A partial sectional view along the line II--II in FIG. 3, for anillustration according to FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 An alternative embodiment of the illustration according to FIG.9;

FIG. 12 A partial sectional view along the line II--II in FIG. 3, for anillustration according to FIG. 11; and

FIG. 13 A partial view from the side of the counter opening disk of anadditional alternative opener according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The opener 1 comprises a cylindrical housing 2 with a lower region thatis designed to extend conically tapered toward the base 3 of housing 2.A ring flange 4 with a short feed pipe 5 that extends into the housing 2such that it can be moved through sliding is located in the center ofthe outside of base 3 for housing 2. The short feed pipe 5 is held inits changeable position within the ring flange 4 by a connected cogwheelmechanism 6. A transport air flow under suction pressure, which ischarged with fibrous flakes, flows from a machine supplying fibrousflakes is in the direction of arrow A through the short feed pipe 5 andinto the opener 1.

Inside housing 2, the short feed pipe 5 is connected to a hollowcylinder 7, wherein the lower region of the hollow cylinder 7 isdesigned to expand in a truncated-cone shape outward from the short feedpipe 5. The parallel extending walls of the hollow cylinder 7 and thehousing 2 form an annular chamber 8 between them, from which a shortdischarge pipe 9 extends outward in the lower region. A short fresh-airfeed pipe, which is not shown and is located opposite the shortdischarge pipe 9, furthermore discharges into the lower region of thering chamber 8. This allows fresh air to flow into the ring chamber 8,which avoids fiber deposits. Connected to the short discharge pipe 9 isa suction feed line, not shown here, for a ventilator that suctions offthe fiber air flow in the direction of arrow B.

A circular ring flange 10 is provided on the upper outside end ofhousing 2, which is connected via screws 11 that are distributed evenlyover the circumference to a circular cover disk 12. The opening 15 ofthe circular cover disk 12 is closed off by a lid 13 resting on it. Theposition of lid 13 is secured with screw connections 14 that aredistributed evenly over the circumference. A drive shaft 15 for anopening disk 16 inside the housing 2 extends through the center of thelid 13.

The drive shaft 15 is supported on a bearing 17, held inside a bearingblock 18 with associated bearing cover 19, which is attached to theoutside of lid 13. A drive wheel 20 is attached so as to rotate along tothe end of drive shaft 15, which projects over the bearing cover 19 ofbearing block 19 [sic], which drive wheel can be linked with gears to adrive motor. A holding flange 21 for opening disk 16 is attached so asto rotate along to the end of drive shaft 15, which extends into thehousing 2. The holding flange 21 that is fixedly attached to the driveshaft 15 is connected with screw connections 22 to the opening disk 16.

The opening disk 16 has a slightly larger diameter than the diameter ofthe hollow cylinder 7 and is fitted with pointed spikes 23 on the sidefacing the hollow cylinder 7, which spikes extend at an angle toward theoutside. A ring flange 24 that is attached to the inside of lid 13concentrically surrounds the opening disk 16.

The free front end of hollow cylinder 7, which is arranged coaxially tothe opening disk 16, ends at a certain parallel distance to the openingdisk 16, wherein this distance can be varied with the aid of thecogwheel mechanism 6, in dependence on the type of fiber air flow, toachieve an optimum degree of opening for the fiber material. Locatedopposite the opening disk 16 is a circular segment-shaped counteropening disk 25, which is fitted into the front of hollow cylinder 7 andwhich is provided according to FIG. 7 with pointed spikes 26, at leastover an angular region β of approximately 120°. The counter opening disk25 furthermore has a circular segment-shaped cutout 27, which is definedby a circumferential angle α of approximately 120°. The counter openingdisk 25 thus closes off more than half of the front of hollow cylinder7. The resulting, reduced discharge opening 28 of hollow cylinder 7guides the fiber air flow in a compressed form to the opening disk 16,which opens the fiber material in a joint action with the counteropening disk 25. The counter opening disk 25 is rigidly secured to thewall of hollow cylinder 7 by means of a flange 29.

The circular segment-shaped counter opening disk 25 according to FIG. 3is provided with two shafts 30 and 31, extending parallel to each otherand parallel to the diameter of counter opening disk 25, which shaftsare fitted with the pointed spikes 26. These shafts 30 and 31 arerespectively positioned in bearings 32, which themselves are secured ininserts 33, as follows in particular from FIG. 6. These inserts 33 arefitted into cutouts 34 in the counter opening disk 25. Owing to thebearings 32, the shafts 30 and 31, which support the spikes 26, aremounted on the counter opening disk 25 such that they can tilt. Betweenthe shafts 30 and 31 that support the rows of spikes 26, aparallel-extending row of spikes 26 is arranged, wherein these spikes 26are fixedly inserted in the counter opening disk 25.

In accordance with FIG. 7, the counter opening disk 25, provided withfastening holes 35 distributed over its outer circumference, has furtherrows of spikes 26, which extend essentially radial to the outsidecircumference of the counter opening disk 25. The fastening holes 36 forthe respective insert 33 for shafts 30 and 31 are visible in this figureas well. The circular segment-shaped cutout 27 in the counter openingdisk 25 furthermore has a guide surface 37 for diverting the fibermaterial to the rows of spikes 26. The movement direction of the flakyfiber material is in rotational direction of the opening disk 16 and isshown with the arrow C.

In the embodiments according to FIGS. 1 to 8, the shafts 30 and 31,which are fitted with rows of spikes 26, are placed into a rotatingmotion by a crank mechanism 39 that is operated by a drive motor 38. Thecrank mechanism 39, described in detail in the following, is shown inFIG. 4.

The drive motor 38 is mounted in a suitable way with an angle flange 40on the hollow cylinder 7. The motor shaft 41 is connected to aneccentric cam 43 by means of a slot and feather connection 42. Theeccentric cam 43 is secured such that it can rotate in a bearing 44 andis surrounded by a cover flange 45. Projecting from the eccentric cam 43is an eccentric pin 46, on which two drive rods 49 and 50 are mounted byway of respective bearing eyes 47, which are attached with a clampingscrew 48 to the eccentric pin 46. In accordance with FIG. 3, the driverod 49 is used to move the rear shaft 31 that is provided with spikes,and the drive rod 50 is used to move the front shaft 30 that is providedwith spikes in the counter opening disk 25. The drive shafts 49 and 50are respectively connected with their upper ends to the shaft journals51 and 52 of the shafts 30 and 31, meaning they have joint bars 53in-between, which are secured with the aid of additional clamping screws48. The length of piston rods 49 and 50 can be adjusted to therespective conditions with an adjustable screw coupling 54.

The double arrows D in FIG. 5 indicate the movement direction of therows of spikes 26, for which the angle can be adjusted back and forthcontinuously with the aid of crank mechanism 39. The rows of spikes 26move in counter direction toward each other or away from each other. Asa result of this pendulum movement, the flaky fiber material cannot getsnagged and cannot form laps on the spikes 26 since these laps arestripped off by the following fiber goods and the surrounding air flow,owing to the varied positions of the spikes 26 during the angleadjustment. This movement in counter direction of the two rows of spikes26 is clearly visible in FIG. 6. Said figure also shows a lip seal 55,installed at the insert 33, which seals the respectively associatedshaft 30 or 31 for the rows of spikes 26 against the space between theopening disk 16 and the counter opening disk 25.

In the embodiment of opener 1 that is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, theshafts 30 and 31, fitted with spikes 26, are respectively acted upon bya spring 56, that is in such a way that the spikes 26 are positioned atan angle in rotational direction of the opening disk 16. A tensionspring 57 is provided for shaft 30, which is arranged fixedly on a frameand at a point G, while for the shaft 31 a compression spring 58 isprovided at a fixed point G on a frame. The springs 57 and 58 are pushedcounter to their spring force by the fibers of the flaky fiber materialflowing in the direction of arrow C onto the spikes 26, wherein thespikes 26 of the respective shaft 30 or 31 are moved as well. If thespikes 26 of the respective shaft 30 or 31 pass their vertex, the fibersattached to them are stripped off and the starting position, owingstarting position, owing to the respective force of their associatedsprings 57 or 58. In accordance with FIG. 9, this results in areciprocating movement in the direction of arrows D.

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate an alternative embodiment of therepresentation according to the FIGS. 9 and 10, in which the springs 57,58 are replaced by elastic strips 59 and 60, which are attached fixedlyto a frame at respective points G. The resulting effect is the same asfor the embodiment described in the above.

In the embodiment of opener 1 as shown in FIG. 13, the adjustment of theangle for spikes 26 is realized with spiral springs 61, which arearranged below the counter opening disk 25. Each of these spiral springs61 is designed as a spike 26 on its free, front end, which can be movedback and forth inside a V-shaped opening 62 in the counter opening disk25. The starting position for these spikes 26 is again at an angle, inrotational direction of the opening disk 16. The operational principlein this case is the same as that for the previously described shafts 30,31 with spikes 26, which are admitted by a spring force.

What is claimed is:
 1. An opener for opening flaky fiber materialcomprising:a driven opening disk having a first side and a second sideand which rotates in a direction; a first plurality of spikes mounted onthe first side of said opening disk; a counter opening disk having acircumference, a first side facing the opening disc and a second side,fixedly mounted parallel and opposite to the first side of the openingdisk; a second plurality of spikes mounted on the first side of thecounter opening disk and fitted so as to tilt at an angle in a directionof the opening disk and arranged substantially radially in rows; and adrive mechanism for moving the angle of at least one row of the spikeson the counter opening disk back and forth in rotational direction andcounter to the rotational direction of the opening disk.
 2. The openeraccording to claim 1, wherein the counter opening disk has acircular-segment design with a circular segment shaped cutout, and afirst row of the spikes on the counter opening disk is located closelybehind the circular-segment shaped cutout in the direction of rotationof the opening disc and substantially perpendicular to the direction ofrotation.
 3. The opener according to claim 2, wherein thecircular-segment shaped cutout in the counter opening disk is defined bya circumferential angle of approximately 120°.
 4. The opener accordingto claim 1, wherein a plurality of the rows of spikes mounted on thecounter opening disc, include a number of spikes essentially equallyspaced along the rows and said rows extend essentially radially inwardfrom the circumference of the counter opening disk and wherein thenumber of spikes in successive rows are progressively reduced such thatthe rows become progressively shorter in the radially inward directionaround the counter opening disc in the rotational direction of theopening disk.
 5. The opener according to claim 1, further including tworows of spikes mounted on the counter rotating disk and extendingsubstantially parallel and side-by-side, and wherein said substantiallyparallel two rows of spikes are mounted such that the angle of thespikes can be moved back and forth, in counter direction to each other.6. The opener according to claim 5, wherein at least one row of fixedlyattached spikes is arranged between neighboring, parallel andside-by-side extending rows of spikes, for which the angle can beadjusted back and forth.
 7. The opener according to claim 6, wherein thespikes of the fixedly attached row of spikes of the counter opening diskare installed such they are tilted in rotational direction of theopening disk.
 8. The opener according to claim 1, wherein the spikes forwhich the angle can be adjusted, are fastened on at least one rotatableshaft.
 9. The opener according to claim 1, wherein the counter openingdisk is provided with spikes only within an angular region ofapproximately 120°.
 10. The opener according to claim 1, wherein atleast each one of the rows with spikes, for which the angle can beadjusted back and forth, is fastened with an insert fitted into acorresponding cutout in the counter opening disk.
 11. The openeraccording to claim 10, wherein the insert further comprises:a rotatableshaft on which is mounted the row of spikes; and a lip seal in adirection of the opening disk, which seals the shaft provided with thespikes (26) to substantially prevent the exit of fibrous materialbetween the opening disk and the counter opening disk.
 12. The openeraccording to claim 1, wherein the spikes have sharp points.
 13. Theopener according to claim 1, wherein the rows of spikes, for which theangle can be adjusted back and forth, can be actuated via a motor-drivencrank drive.
 14. The opener according to claim 13, wherein the crankdrive mechanism has one or more eccentric cams, which transmits themotor drive movement onto one or more respective crank shafts.
 15. Theopener according to claim 13, wherein the motor of the crank drive isone of an electric motor, a pneumatic motor, and a hydraulic motor. 16.The opener according to claim 1, wherein at least one row of the spikeson the counter opening disk is positioned such that the angle can beadjusted in rotational direction and counter to the rotational directionof the opening disk, wherein a spring force acts upon the spikes inrotational direction of the opening disk.
 17. The opener according toclaim 16, wherein at least one of a tension spring and a compressionspring is associated with each row of spikes, for which the angle can beadjusted.
 18. The opener according to claim 17, wherein the spring(s)are one of a steel spring and a rubber spring.
 19. The opener accordingto claim 1, wherein at least one spike of the counter opening disk isheld at an angle in counter-rotational direction of the opening diskthrough the force of a spring.
 20. The opener according to claim 19,wherein for at least one row of spikes on the counter opening disk, eachspike is formed by the free front end of a spiral spring, wherein theangle of each spike is movable in rotational direction and counter tothe rotational direction of the opening disk and wherein when the spiralspring is in its relaxed position each spike is held by the force of aspring such that it tilts in the counter-rotational direction of theopening disk.